Combination locking mechanism



' G. D. RATHBUN.

COMBINATION LOCKING MECHANISM.

FILED SEPT. 14. 1921.

Mar. 20, 1923.. 1,449,248.

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GEORGE D. BATHEUN, 01E KANSAS CITY, EVIISSOUEI.

GOMBIHATIQN LO I IING IVIECHANISIVL Application filed September 14, 1921.

State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and use il Improvement in Combination Locking h'iechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in combination locking mechanisms.

It relates particularly to an electromagnetic combination locking mechanism adapted for use in connection with locks for doors.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a locking mechanism of the kind described, which is simple, cheap to make, durable and not liable to get out of order, which may be readily applied to different types of locks now in use, and which is difficult of operation by any one not knowing the combination employed.

My invention provides further a novel arrangement of contacts and novel means for identifying the several contacts, so that an authorized person, knowing the combination can readily operate the mechanism.

My invention provides further a novel guard for the contacts which also serves as a guide for the key conductors which are employed to co-operate with the contacts of the combination.

My invention provides further novel means for rendering the unlocking mechanism inoperative in case that some one feloniously connects together all of the contacts in an effort to operate the mechanism.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. l is an elevation, reduced, and partly broken away, of a door equipped with my improved mechanism.

Fig. 2- is an enlarged front view, partly broken away, of the contact support, the perforated guard member and the two dotachable key conductors or connectors shown mounted in the operative position.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits employed in a simple form of my invention, which requires for itsoperation but a single key conductor.

4: is a diagrammatic representation of another. form of my invention, which requires two key conductors to effect the un Serial No. 500,616.

locking operation. In this view the contact support and guard member are shown in section on the line l4: of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the different views.

1 designates an ordinary sliding bolt arranged to be operated in the usual manner by a knob 2, of a lock 3, which is mounted on a door 4. The knob 2 is arranged to withdraw in the usual manner the bolt 1 from a strike plate 5 fastened to the frame (3 of the door.

7 designates a locking member l'iaving one end supported by a flat spring 8, which has one end secured in a suitable post 9. The other end of the locking member 7 is provided with a projection 10, which is adapted to enter a notch 11 in the bolt 1 for holding the bolt in the locked position, and in a manner such that the bolt 1 can not be retracted by turning the knob 52 unless the locking member 7 has been withdrawn from the notch 11.

The bolt 1 is also provided with a notch 12, which is adapted to receive the projection 10 for holding the bolt in the unlocked position.

Mounted on and secured to the outer side of the door a, preferably adjacent to the lock 3, is a vertical plate 13 of insulating iaterial which is provided with a plurality of transverse holes. preferably arranged in regular order in horizontal and vertical rows, and in which are respectively secured contacts comprising similar pins let. some of which are inactive and disconnected with any circuit and others of which are active, that is, included in an electric circuit or circuits.

In front of-the contact support 13 and secured to and spaced apart therefron'i is a guard member 15, which covers the contacts mounted in the support 13 and which is provided with transverse holes 16, which respectively aline with the contact pins and which are adapted to receive the ends of a conductor, which I will term the key c'onductor 17..

Referring to Fig. 3, which illustrates the simpler form of my invention, 1 provide an electric release circuit which includes two contacts le to which" are respectively connected conductors 18 and 19, the latter being connected to one pole of a battery 20, the other-pole of which is connected by a conductor 21 to one terminal of a magnet 22,

the other terminal of which is connected to a conductor 23, which is connected to a con.-

' connected.

The spring 25 carries an, armature 27, lo cated in the magnetic field of an electro magnet 28, one terminal oi, which is connected to a conductor 29 which is connected vto one pole of a battery 30, the other pole of which is connected by a conductor 31 with another of the contacts 14. The other Fig. 3.

In the normal operation of this invention, inthe form shown in Fig. 3, the spring 8 normally forces the locking member into position for entering either the notch 11 or the notch 12. When it is desired to unlock the bolt 1, the authorized person, knowing the combination, and having in his possession the key conductor 17, inserts the end or the latter through the proper holes in the guard 15 and respectively against the two contacts in the rear thereof,'which are respectively connected to the conductors 18 and 19. The current Will then pass from the battery 20, through the conductor 21, magnet 22, conductor 23, contact 24, spring 25, post 26, conductor 18, thence through the adjacent contact 14 and key conductor 17, to the contact to which is connected the conductor 19, thence back-to the battery 20. I The magnet 22 being energized by the current passing through the circuit attracts an armature 33,'which is in the field of the magnet, and which is attached to the locking member 7. The latter will thus be moved to the'released position, out of the notch 11, after which the operator may turn the knob 2 to withdraw the bolt 1 out of the strike plate 5, upon which the door may be opened In case that some one tries to feloniously voperate the mechanism, and attempts to do this by inserting wires in all the holes 16 and against the contacts 14- and then connects such wires together, the contacts 14 which are connected to theconductors- 31 and '32 will have the circuit which includes the magnet 28 closed through them by the inserted wires, upon which the magnet 28 will be" energized and will draw toward it the armature 27- and withittthe.spring25, thus separating'the latterufrom the stationary con-tact24, thereby opening the- .cir

'cuit which includes'the'fmagnet22, so that fthedatte'r can not be energized and'made to release-"the bolt 1 from the locking. memher 7. i

Inthe form-of'my invention shown in "Fig. 4",two key conductors 1'7 are employed. and the.,.=term'1na1s *ofS- said conductors are respectively connected to conductors 34, 35, 36 and 37. The last named conductor is connected to a post 38 in which is secured one end of a spring 39, which bears against a contact 40, which, is connected by a conductor 41, to one pole of a battery 42, the other pole of which is connected by a conductor 43 with one terminal of an electric magnet 44, the other terminal of which is connected by a conductor 45 with a post 46, which supports one end of a spring 47 normally out oI contact with but adapted to be brought against a stationary contact 48 to which is connected the conductor 36.

Respectively supported by the springs 39 and 47 are two armatures '49 and 50, which are respectively located in the fields of two electro magnets 51 and 52.

The magnet 52 has one terminal connected by a conductor 53 with a battery 54, to which is connected the conductor 34. The other terminal of the magnet 52 is connected to the conductor 35.

One terminal of the magnet 51 is connected by a conductor 55 to one terminal of a battery 56, the other terminal of which is connected by a conductor 57 to a contact 14. The other terminal of the magnet 51 is connected by a conductor 58 to another contact 14.

In the operation of the form of my invention shown in Fig. 4, the operator having the two key conductors 17 and knowing the combination, inserts the ends of said conductors through the proper holes in the guard 15 and against the contacts which are respectively connected tothe conductors 34, 35, 36 and 37 The current from the battery 54 will pass through the conductor 53, magnet 52,'conductor 35, adjacent contact 14, adjacent conductor 17, the contact connected with the conductor 34 and thence rack to the battery by conductor 34.

The magnet 52 being energized Will the conductor 37, post 38, spring 39,,sta-

tionary' contact40, and conductor-41back to-the battery 42.

The magnet 44 being energizedtwill attract the armature v33, thereby drawing the locking *member 7 1 out of engagement with the bolt 1, in the manner described with reference to theform shown in'Eig. 3. In case that some one connects allof'the contacts :14, in a. felonious attempt to -operate the locking mechanismythe aciron-it l attract the armature 50, therebybringing closed through the contacts 14 which are respectively connected to the conductors 57 and 58, the current from the battery 56 will pass through the conductor 55, magnet 51, conductor 58 contact 14 connected with the conductor 58, thence through the conductor, not shown, which is used to connect the contacts together feloniously, to the con tact 14 connected with the conductor 57, thence by the latter back to the battery 56.

The magnet 51 being energized, will attract the arn'iaturc 49, thus drawing the spring 39 out of contact with the contact 40, thus breaking the circuit in which is located the magnet 44, so that the latter can not withdraw the locking member 7 out of engagementwith the bolt 1.

In order that the operator may readily find the proper holes 16, through which to insert the ends of the key conductors 17, the con'ibination being known, the front side of the guard 15 is provided with a horizontal row of numerals 59, Fig. 2, comprising the digits arranged in'order respectively above the vertical rows of holes 16, the numeral 1 being over the left vertical row and the digit 0 being over the last vertical row.

A vertical row of digits are arranged in like order at the left ends respectively of the horizontal rows of holes.

Assuming that the combination of the locking mechanism, as shown in Fig. 2, comprises the numbers 2834 and 4556. The operator places one end of one of the conductors 17 in the second vertical row and third hole down, and the other end of the conductor 17 in the third row and fourth hole down. He then inserts one end of the other conductor 17 in the fourth row and fifth hole down, and the other end of the last named conductor 17 in the fifth vertical row and sixth hole from the top. The two circuits which respectively include the magnets 52 and 44 will thus be closed through the key conductors 17, upon which the magnet 52 will close the circuit containing the magnet 44, so that the latter will release the bolt 1 from the locking member 7.

From the above, it will be noted that each hole 16 is identified by the numerals in the rows 59 and 60, each hole beingrepresented by two numerals, the first of which is the number of the vertical row in which the hole is located, and the last by the number of the horizontal row containing the hole. If desired this arrangement may: be reversed.

It will be obvious that the combination may be changed by attaching the conductors to different contacts 14.

* the proper two contacts in the form shown in Fig. 3, and much less chance of selecting the four contacts with which the wiring co-operates in the form shown in Fig. 4.

While I have illustrated my invention as applied to a lock, it will be obvious that a member corresponding to the locking memher 7 could be used for other purposes than as a bolt lock, in connection with the other mechanisms co -operating therewith and above described.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described, as many modifications, within the scope'of the appended.

claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is,

1. In an apparatus of the kind described, a contact support, a plurality of contacts mounted thereon and insulated from each other, a locking member movable to and from a locking position, an electric circuit which includes two of said contacts as terminals thereof, others of saidcontacts being disconnected from said circuit, a source of current in said circuit, meansactuated by current in said circuit for moving the locking member to the released position, detachable means for closing the circuit between said two contacts, a closed charged circuit and means by which said first named circuit is broken in case that certain two of said disconnected contacts are connected to said closed charged circuit, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, a contact support, a plurality of contacts mounted thereon and insulated from each other, a locking member movable to and from a locking position, an electric circuit which includes two of said contacts as terminals thereof, others of said contacts being disconnected from said circuit, a source of current in said circuit, means actuated by current in said circuit for moving the locking member to the released position, detachable means for closing the circuit between said two contacts, a second circuit which includes as terminals thereof two of said disconnected contacts, a current source in said second circuit, and means actuated by current in said second circuit for breaking the first circuit, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, a contact support, a plurality of contacts mounted thereon and insulated from each other, a locking member movable to and from a locking position, an electric circuit which includes two of said contacts as terminals thereof, others of said contacts be-- ing disconnected from said circuit, a source of current in said circuit, means actuated by current in said circuit for moving the locking member to the released position, detachable means for closing the circuit be- &

tweensaid two contacts, a normally open circuit closer insaid circuit, asecond circuit which includes as terminals thereof two of the disconnected contacts, a, source ot'current in said second circuit, means in said' second circuit actuatedby current in said second'circuit for closing said circuit closenanddetachable means for closing the circuit between said two disconnected contacts, substantially as set forth.

at. In an apparatus of thekind described, a contact support, a plurality of contacts mounted thereon and insulated from each other, a locking member movable to and from a locking position, an electric circuit which includes two t said contacts as terminals thereof, others ot' said 'contacts beingdisconnected from said circuit, a source of current in said circuit, means actuated by current in'said' circuit for moving the lockingmember'to the released position, detachable means for closing the circuit between said'two contacts, a normally open circuit closer-in said circuit, a second circuit' which includes as terminals thereof two of said disconnected contacts, detachable the circuit is closed through said last named contacts for operating the normally closed circuit closer to open the third circuit, sub 'stantially as set forth.

5. In'an apparatus of the kind described, a lock having a movable member, a contact support, a plurality of contacts insulated from each other on said supp 0rt, some of the contacts being normally inactive and others active, electro magnetic means arranged to co-operate with two of said active contacts, when proper connection is made between the latter for moving said movable member, and means arranged to cooperate with two others of the active contacts for rendering said electro magnetic means inoperative, in case a circuit is effected 'throu'ghthe last named contacts, substantially asset forth. i

v 6. In an apparatus of the kind described, a lock having a movable member, a contact support, a plurality of contacts insulated "from each other on said support and arranged in horizontal and vertical rows, electro magnetic means, having a circuit of which two of saidcontacts form terminals, for moving said movable member in case the, circuit is closed through said two contacts, and means 'co-operating with two others of said contacts forbreaking said circuit in case a circuit is closedthrough the last 'named'contacts, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof'I ha-ve signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE-VD. RATHBUN. 

